CEO's Ugly Flash-Marriage Wife Hides So Many Identities
Chapter 183: She Was Made to Seduce Him

Chapter 183: Chapter 183: She Was Made to Seduce Him

Qiao Rui did not marry Pei Liyan for the reasons Elder Qiao had mentioned.

Elder Qiao continued, "Qiao Rui, you really are like your mother, using any means necessary to achieve your goals, never resting until you succeed, ultimately exhausting everyone involved!"

Qiao Rui pursed her lips, feeling a sting that spread throughout her heart.

She took a deep breath, and then another.

She exhaled.

Suppressing the suffocation in her chest, she said softly, "My mother was brave, striving willfully for love, bearing and raising children for the man she loved—I applaud her for that; and my father, who protected my mother for love, was a real man, and I am equally proud of him."

Elder Qiao shook slightly, his pupils constricted repeatedly, and finally, in anger, he slammed the coffee table, causing everything on it to fall off.

Qiao Rui did not look away but continued to gaze into Elder Qiao’s eyes, saying, "Please give me a photo of my brother, finding him is most important!"

"There are hardly any photos of your brother, but I do have a few here," Elder Qiao said gravely, "but I can’t give them to you now."

"Can’t give them to me?" Qiao Rui frowned, "If not now, when can you give them to me?"

"That depends on how you behave," Elder Qiao replied indifferently.

The fact that he could make such a condition puzzled Qiao Rui; what kind of person was Elder Qiao really?

Mercenary.

Qiao Rui’s brow barely perceptibly furrowed, her expression darkening. "If even this requires a trade, it seems my brother isn’t very important to Grandfather."

On hearing this, Elder Qiao frowned, a displeased emotion flashed in his eyes. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then stopped, staring at her for a long while before saying, "Qiao Rui, I know you’re wary of our Qiao Family, and frankly, I feel the same about you."

Qiao Rui was taken aback; she hadn’t expected Elder Qiao to discuss this matter so openly.

"What exactly do you want, Grandpa?" Qiao Rui asked patiently, wanting to know Elder Qiao’s true stance.

Elder Qiao was silent for a while before he finally said, "I know you resent me for abandoning you in the countryside, thinking it was wrong of me."

"No," Qiao Rui replied calmly, "I had a good life in the countryside, I never felt unhappy."

But Elder Qiao seemed not to believe her, pulling a face, and said, "It’s because of your mother, she killed your father, my excellent son was lost, and I, an elderly man, had to send off my young son—you wouldn’t understand my grief."

Qiao Rui smiled bitterly inside; in fact, she, like Elder Qiao, was a victim too.

Elder Qiao suffered the intense pain of being an elderly man who lost his son; she had lost her parents young and become an orphan.

The three great misfortunes of life: to lose one’s mother in childhood, spouse in middle age, and child in old age.

Both grandchild and grandfather fell into one of these categories.

Now that Elder Qiao said this, Qiao Rui fell silent.

Talking about who was right or wrong now was already meaningless.

The people were gone, holding onto right and wrong, why bother!

"I understand you lost your parents young, were left behind, and definitely have much grievance, but even today, I probably couldn’t choose to bring you back and keep you by my side as a constant reminder of my lost outstanding son," Elder Qiao paused, his voice strained, "I can’t be that selfless; I could only abandon you, my granddaughter."

Qiao Rui felt as though something had stabbed her heart, a complex mix of emotions intertwining, sad yet bitter.

"Thank you for your honesty, Grandpa," Qiao Rui genuinely felt that Elder Qiao deserved respect for sharing these emotions honestly.

After all, it takes courage to expose one’s darkest thoughts.

At this moment, although Qiao Rui felt pained, she still felt respect for Elder Qiao’s words.

At least more respect than when she first returned to the Qiao Family.

"You married Pei Liyan; I thought you could contribute to the Qiao Family, but you didn’t, instead, you kept trying to sabotage us," Elder Qiao’s gaze was calm yet piercing as he looked at Qiao Rui.

Qiao Rui had to admit, she had indeed thought so.

"What exactly do you want to do, Grandpa? Just say it."

"Last time your elder sister took six billion from the Pei Family, there’s still a gap, I hope you can help raise four billion," Elder Qiao stated.

Qiao Rui tensed up, "The six billion gap hasn’t filled the Qiao Family’s deficit, and you want to add four billion more, are you confident that this will cover it?"

Facing Qiao Rui’s question, Elder Qiao stated, "Four billion might not cover it, but if you can manage to get eight billion, I’m confident we can fill the gap."

"Grandpa, I can’t get the money," Qiao Rui refused gravely. "I’m sorry."

"You don’t want your brother’s photo anymore?"

"I will find my brother myself," Qiao Rui looked coldly at Elder Qiao, this was not the time to be threatened, she, Qiao Rui, was not raised to be threatened by anyone.

Elder Qiao’s icy gaze swept over Qiao Rui like a sharp blade.

Yet, she stood her ground, returning his gaze unflinchingly.

Faced with Qiao Rui’s composure, Elder Qiao seemed to falter, unable to maintain eye contact he turned away, coldly saying, "It seems your brother isn’t that important to you, can’t you make some sacrifice for the Qiao Family, and for your brother?"

"My brother is of course important, but I won’t use him as a bargaining chip," Qiao Rui declared firmly.

"But don’t forget, he is the only male grandchild of the Qiao Family, if he’s alive, the Qiao Family will eventually belong to him."

"Just a mess," Qiao Rui said softly, "it’s better left alone."

"Qiao Rui," Elder Qiao rebuked sharply, "don’t forget, you too are part of the Qiao Family, your deceased father also contributed to the Qiao Family, if your brother lives, I will pass on the Qiao Family to him, asking you to make some sacrifices for them, and you refuse, how are you any more upright than me?"

Qiao Rui felt stung.

She was silent.

After a long time, Qiao Rui finally said, "Do you want me to ask Pei Liyan for another eight billion?"

"Yes!" Elder Qiao didn’t shy away, "From four to eight billion, the bottom line is four billion."

"What if I can’t get it?"

"Get it and then talk," Elder Qiao stated heavily, "you haven’t even tried, how do you know it won’t work?"

"I really can’t," Qiao Rui said with a bitter smile, "but since you insist, I’ll try."

"If you succeed, I’ll give you all the clues about your brother," Elder Qiao stated.

Qiao Rui responded and got ready to leave.

"You managed to get out of the Pei Family’s secret chamber, you can manage to get Pei Liyan to give up the money, if you don’t, it’s because you didn’t try hard enough," Elder Qiao declared.

Qiao Rui frowned, "I don’t know how much more you want me to try?"

"Strength forged from a hundred trials is malleable," Elder Qiao stated, "some truths, you don’t need me to teach, you’ll understand yourself."

Qiao Rui was momentarily speechless.

He wants her to seduce Pei Liyan.

Ha!

She suddenly felt sad; the Qiao Family like this, is doomed.